Urmi Vallassery

Hi! I'm Urmi, an American living and studying in the Netherlands. My blog posts document my time living abroad and offer a portfolio of my capabilities!

The Best 5 Fun Things to do in Seoul that are Really Authentic

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Fun things to do in Seoul seamlessly blend with its culinary adventures and refreshing sips! Discover the vibrant tapestry of Seoul’s gastronomic scene as this article guides you through some of my favourites in the city as part of my last Seoul Favourites. 


This article is officially my last recap/monthly favourite of fun things to do in Seoul. I’m so sad my exchange has ended, but alas, all good things must come to an end! Welcome to Seoul, a world that unlocks many unique flavours combined with an incredible talent of concept restaurants and cafes.

Nat Dal

서울 마포구 독막로5길 8 1층 낮달

I will start with this restaurant to kick off fun things to do in Seoul. On my friend’s last night in Seoul, we visited an incredible international restaurant. The best food is the Korean food, though, we had a refreshing dumpling dish. 

It used flat veggie fried dumplings as a wrap, filled with a fresh filling. I highly recommend this! It combined savoury and sweet flavours so effortlessly, with a tangy taste. 

The dumpling dish I’m talking about, one of the fun things to do in Seoul 🙂

Then, we tried the Japanese fried chicken … also can’t go wrong with this dish. A classic fried chicken! A fun fact about Seoul is that the average annual consumption of fried chicken is 15.4 kg per person

Not to mention, the waitress was amazing! She served all of our dishes as soon as we were done with them and it was still hot when we had it. Perfect timing. 

This is also a great place to try multiple dishes and share with a group of friends. We were five, and three dishes were the perfect size for us! 

Our last dish we had together was the seafood tteokbokki, it had a soupy broth, unlike the usual sauce-like texture of tteokbokki. It was spicy, but a good spice.

Kyodaiya

South Korea, Seoul, Mapo-gu, Hapjeong-dong, Seongji-gil, 39 빌딩 1층

Another culinary special is this Michelin Udon restaurant in the heart of Hongdae. Like most Michelin Guide restaurants in Seoul, it is always busy, and you are usually in there to eat and leave. 

The Noodles from my fun things to do in Seoul list!

I tried the curry udon, which I had never tried before. The udon noodles are thick and hand-cut, and the curry sauce is a traditional beef curry sauce. The udon noodles also have minced meat in the curry. I can safely say this was delicious. 

This is one of the fun things to do in Seoul: eat with friends and get a nice meal together. Some dishes come as set menus with extra dishes such as soup and salad. Although they do not have strictly vegetarian dishes, they do have pescatarian ones.

Seoul Arts Center

2406 Nambusunhwan-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Fun things to do in Seoul, South Korea, are not limited to culinary specials! We decided to buy tickets for the Nutcracker in Seoul and watch it at the Seoul Arts Center in South Korea. I recommend going to a show to experience the difference between shows you would watch in your home country.

For instance, a significant difference we found was that the audience claps IN BETWEEN acts in a show. In the shows I’ve attended, you are not allowed to clap during the show until they have finished the act. 

The Nutcracker was beautiful, and we had to buy the tickets upfront at the office. It cost 8 euros and was worth it. The seats are also very comfortable, we were closer to the top and still had a good view of the stage.

Tuk-Tuk Noodle

161-8 Seongmisan-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

This restaurant was another Michelin guide-recommended restaurant – another part of the fun things to do in Seoul! The restaurant has a tuk-tuk mounted on the wall, tons of Thai prints, and a wooden interior. Transporting you to the beautiful tropical beaches of Thailand. 

The Pad Thai from my fun things to do in Seoul!

 Not only does the restaurant itself take you to Thailand, but the food is pretty decent. It’s not the best pad Thai I’ve had, but it was good, and the portion size was good for the price. I had the shrimp pad thai, one of their “best” dishes on the menu. 

I recommend visiting it for the atmosphere, but it is a bit more pricey than regular restaurants in Seoul! Be prepared for a waiting list, as it was busy when we checked it out—part of the fun activities in Seoul.

Vinyl

411-1 서교동 Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Last, some fun things to do in Seoul include exploring all their crazy bars, especially the vinyl bars/cafes. This vinyl bar is a cute corner bar that can fit 10 people, so check in advance how many it can fit. 

It only has one employee, and he runs the bar. All the cocktails are on his handwritten menu, tied together by metal hooks. You have your classic cocktails, like a G&T and the bar’s specials. 

The amazing atmosphere of the Vinyl Bar.

Not only is the atmosphere perfect for a chill night out of drinks with friends, but the music that he plays is so happy and uplifting. I went back to the bar three times and each time, the music did not disappoint! 

The cocktails and drinks are served in plastic ziplock-looking bags. It is the cosiest atmosphere with dimmed lights and records all over the wall. Wooden seats that look like you’re inside a treehouse – a must-see if you are in Mapo-Gu!

Fun Things to Do in Seoul Conclusion

After four months of living in Seoul, Seoul is the city where you will never get bored. There are so many free activities, festivals, fabulous restaurants and cafes to choose from. 

If this article convinces you to try one of these recommendations, please let me know below! I would love to hear your thoughts about these places and if you enjoyed them. 

I can’t believe I have officially closed this chapter, I will try and see if I have anymore Seoul Seoul-related content to upload to the blog before I close it online. Thank you, Seoul, for all you offered me and for reading this article! 

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